Giftedness

The Talented Child

Researchers have proposed many different concepts over the years to define giftedness or talented – the condition of being highly gifted or talented – and as such there is no universally accepted definition of giftedness or being talented. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) uses Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (2008) to define gifted students as those whose potential is distinctly above average in one or more of the following domains of human ability:

Intellectual

Creative

Physical

Social

Could my child be gifted?

There are a number of educational, emotional and behavioural indicators that your child may be gifted. Such signs may include:

Unusually advanced development in understanding of concepts, language or acquisition of skills

Appearing bored or inattentive at school

Perfectionistic tendencies

Difficulties interacting with same-aged peers

A strong sense of social justice and questioning authority

Gifted children often have thinking skills that are significantly advanced for their age but which do not match their level of social-emotional development. This “asynchronous development” refers to uneven intellectual, physical, and emotional development that is often present in children with intellectual giftedness. This can lead to excessive feelings of frustration and anxiety as these children may find that they can problem-solve more quickly than their peers and are not always easily understood by them.

Assessment for gifted and talented children and adolescents

The Listen And Learn Centre assesses children and adolescents for giftedness and makes recommendations how to keep a gifted child motivated and provide strategies for the classroom to keep the gifted child engaged in learning new concepts. The assessment is always customized to the presenting indicators of giftedness.

Are you considering our therapy programs for your child?

Get in touch with our friendly staff to arrange a consultation and assessment